Volvo's Electric Hybrid to be Unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt
Motor Show - VIDEO ENHANCED

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FRANKFURT - Volvo’s ReCharge Concept, a plug-in hybrid with
individual electric wheel motors, can drive an estimated 100 kilometers
before the vehicle's four-cylinder Flexifuel engine is needed to power the
car and recharge the battery. When driving beyond the car’s battery
life, fuel consumption may vary from 0 to 5.5 liters per 100 km depending
on the distance driven.

Volvo researchers say the ReCharge Concept can
lower carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 66 percent compared to other
hybrids. In addition to operating on battery energy, the ReCharge Concept
can also accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 9 seconds and reach top speeds
of 160 km/h. The vehicle, which will debut in a specially-designed Volvo
C30 at the IAA motor show in Frankfurt, was developed at the Volvo
Monitoring and Concept Center in Camarillo, CA.

This is a groundbreaking innovation for sustainable transportation. This plug-in hybrid car,
when used as intended, should have about 66 percent lower emissions of carbon dioxide compared
with the best hybrid cars available on the market today. Emissions may be even lower if most
of the electricity comes from CO2-friendly sources such as biogas, hydropower and nuclear
power. A person driving less than 60 miles per day will rarely need to visit a filling
station. Also, thanks to the excellent electrical range from a fuel consumption angle,
the Volvo ReCharge Concept is exceptionally kind to the car owners wallet, commented
Magnus Jonsson, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Cars.

Operating costs are estimated to be about 80 percent lower compared to a similar
petrol-powered car when using battery power alone and even drivers who cover more
than the battery-only range will benefit from the ReCharge Concept. For a 150km
(93 mile) drive starting with a full charge, the car will require less than 2.8
litres of fuel, giving the car an effective fuel economy of 1.9 l/100km (124mpg).

The only extra cost will be the electricity used during charging. The Volvo ReCharge
Concept can be charged at any regular electric plug socket at convenient locations
such as at home or work and a full recharge will take three hours. However, even a
quick one hour charge provides enough power to cover just over 30 miles.

During a journey the combustion engine starts up automatically when 70 percent of
the battery power has been used up. However, the driver also has the option of
controlling the four-cylinder Flexifuel engine manually via a button in the control
panel. This allows the driver to start the engine earlier in order to maximise
battery charge, for instance when out on a motorway in order to save battery capacity
for driving through the next town.

An electric motor at each wheel
The Volvo ReCharge Concept combines a number of the latest technological innovations
into a so-called series hybrid where there is no mechanical connection between
the engine and the wheels.

The battery pack integrated into the boot uses lithium-polymer battery technology.
The batteries are intended to have a useful life beyond that of the car itself. Four
electric motors, one at each wheel, provide independent traction power.
Four-cylinder 1.6-litre Flexifuel engine drives an advanced generator that efficiently
powers the wheel motors when the battery is depleted.

There is a considerable difference between the Volvo plug-in hybrid and todays hybrids.
Todays hybrids use the battery only for short periods to assist the combustion engine.
Volvos solution is designed for most people to run on electric power all the time,
while providing the extra security that comes with having a combustion engine as a
secondary source of electrical power, says Ichiro Sugioka, project manager for the
Volvo ReCharge Concept.

Electric car with a combustion engine as backup
The Volvo ReCharge Concept is a battery electric car with an efficient generator,
an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), that steps in when battery charge becomes insufficient
for adequate driving performance. The APU is designed to distribute electrical power
to the individual motors at each wheel. Since the combustion engine only powers the
APU, it can operate in an optimal fashion, both for regulated emissions and CO2. The
APU is powerful enough to supply an entire house with electricity. For example it
could, in principle, with minor modifications, give the car owner an electricity
generator right at his front door in the event of a power failure.

Specially developed electric motors
The central electrical components in the Volvo ReCharge Concept  the generator for
the APU and the wheel motors  were developed together with British electromagnetic
specialists PML Flightlink.

With an individual electric motor at each wheel, weight distribution as well as mechanical
efficiency and traction are maximised and the friction in mechanical gears is eliminated.
Since the car does not have the transmission found in ordinary cars, there is no need for
a gear lever.

To help maximise the environmental benefits, the Volvo ReCharge Concept has high-efficiency
tyres developed by Michelin which are specially designed to accommodate the wheel motors.
The car also has All-Wheel Drive in the truest sense of the term as power to each wheel is
controlled individually.

The energy that is generated during braking is transmitted to the battery pack. When the
system is ultimately developed, traditional wheel brakes will be completely replaced by
electrical brakes with minimal energy wasted through friction. To ensure reliable operation
of the drivetrain and braking system, driver inputs are fed into a quadruple-redundant
electronic control system.

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